Broken and Bruised
by lizabeth143
Summary: After another terrifying run in with Liam, Callie comes home broken and bruised. After the traumatic experience, Callie is more emotionally unstable than ever. Will Callie lose herself and finally break down? Or, will she let Brandon heal her bleeding wounds? ***Set after 'The Fallout'.***
1. Broken and Bruised

Liam roughly pushed Callie up against the brick wall in the dark alley behind the movie theater.

"I told you to keep your damn mouth shut, Callie!"

Liam was breathing heavily, his eyes blazing with fury. He was chest to chest with Callie, his sweaty, muscular body trapping hers to the wall behind them.

"You never listen, do you? Stay quiet, or I will find a way to keep you quiet. Understand?"

Callie slowly nodded her head, tears spilling from her dark brown eyes.

"I don't see why you're so upset. I thought you liked it. You sure seemed like you did. Did you, Callie? Did you enjoy it?"

Liam pressed their bodies even closer together and buried his face in her neck. He ran his lips down to her shoulder, yanking her shirt sleeve down so he could gain access, causing it to rip and tear in the process. His lips traveled down across her collarbone, then back up behind her ears.

"Do you enjoy this?" he roughly whispered.

Callie was sobbing, shaking her head back and forth. She tried to fight, tried to push him off of her, but he was too strong. Liam pulled his head back, lust and envy evident in his eyes. He then crashed his lips down to hers. Callie refused to participate. Hers and Wyatt's kisses were gentle, sweet. This was nothing but rough and forced. Liam took all control, just like he did the last time. She swore to herself that she wouldn't let this happen again. She was older, wiser now. But here it was, happening to her for the second time, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Liam's kiss grew deeper and desperate. Callie could tell he was becoming frustrated and angry, upset at Callie for being so defiant. He took her arms and pinned them above her, using one of his big, rough hands. The other grabbed her waist, squeezing tightly, causing Callie to cry out. Liam kissed her even harder, trying to quiet the sobs and whimpers coming from Callie's unwilling mouth. He then snapped, raising his hand back to slap her cheek. Liam then grabbed her chin forcibly.

"It will only get easier for you if you just cooperate!" he spat at her. "Maybe it'll even feel good."

Callie opened her mouth, taking in Liam's, just to bite down.

"I doubt it," she sneered. Liam cursed, grabbing his bleeding lip.

"That's it," he growled.

Liam roughly pulled Callie's hair and threw her onto the concrete. Callie screamed in pain as she felt her body come in contact with the ground. Blood pooled around her head, oozing from the deep red gash on her forehead. Callie's vision began to blur as she felt like the whole world was spinning before her eyes. Liam stepped in front of Callie's broken and bruised body, hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"You should've just kept your mouth shut."

She felt his body press against hers then everything went black.


	2. Let Me In

Callie shut the front door quietly, and quickly crept up the stairs leading to the bathroom. She muttered a silent curse when the floorboard creaked as she limped through the dark hallway. Reaching the bathroom, she hastily shut the door and flipped on the light switch. Callie gasped when she saw her reflection in the mirror.

Light pink scratches filled her arms and neck. Her shirt was torn at the sleeve, exposing more cuts on her shoulder, which was sore from the heavy fall. Her eyes were blotchy and red from crying all night, a big, ugly purple bruise covered her left cheek, and cuts on the corner of her lips, under her chin, and above her eyebrows looked like they weren't going to be disappearing any time soon. She brushed her hair back with her fingertips to reveal a deep red gash on her forehead.

Callie turned on the faucet and grabbed a rag from the cabinet, soaking it in the hot water. She gently raised it to her forehead and pressed it as gently as she could onto the wound. Callie let out a hoarse cry as she felt the burning sensation of the white hot pain of the cut. She clamped a hand to her mouth as she pressed down harder, trying to quiet her screams. She froze when she heard footsteps coming from down the hall.

A knock on the door made Callie jump.

_Please don't be Lena or Steff. Please don't be Lena or Steff._

It wasn't. It was worse.

Her breath caught in her throat when she heard Brandon's voice whisper through the door, "Callie, is that you?"

Callie murmured a quiet, "Yes."

"What are you doing up this late? Did you just get home?"

Concern flooded Brandon's voice. Callie let out a shaky breath she'd been holding in.

"I'm going to go to bed. You- You should do the same."

_Something wasn't right,_ Brandon thought.

Callie's voice sounded unsteady. She seemed almost scared. Of what, though? What could have happened tonight that could cause Callie to act this shaken up?

"Callie, where were you? Where have you been?"

His voice softened.

"What happened?"

Callie's heart raced. "N- Nothing, Brandon. Don't worry about it, I'm fine."

Something was obviously wrong. He needed to at least see Callie to make sure everything was okay. Brandon's hand found the doorknob and twisted.

"Callie, open up. Open the door."

_Why was it locked?_

"Callie, let me in."

Still, he heard nothing.

"You can talk to me, Callie. You know that. You can trust me. I'm here for you."

_Let me in. Let me in, Callie._

After a few seconds Brandon heard the click of the door as it unlocked. Brandon slowly stepped foot through the doorway, revealing a crying Callie looking up at him through the mirror. Brandon gasped at what he saw in the reflection.

_No, everything was definitely not okay._


	3. Never the Same

"C- Callie?"

Brandon's face twisted into pain at what he saw. Callie's reflection through the mirror was not something he wanted to witness. Her beautiful, big brown eyes were bloodshot. He suspected that the steady flow of tears running down her face had something to do with it. But that wasn't all. She was covered in bruises and scratches, her shirt was ripped down the sleeve, and her forehead held a gaping red wound.

You'd think that all this was what horrified Brandon the most, but it wasn't. It was the tormented, anguished expression Callie wore. She seemed so… defenseless, weak, exposed; so unlike her. Seeing her as vulnerable as she was now, was what would haunt Brandon later that night. Looking into her eyes as they pooled with her tears, was what would break Brandon's heart the most, though.

For once, Brandon was speechless.

This shocked Callie. Brandon always knew what to do and what to say and never seemed at a loss of words. He was always so composed, collected, so sure of himself; until now.

Brandon tried to regain his composure. _I have to be strong… for Callie's sake._

"Cal, do you want to tell me what happened? Who did this to you?"

Callie was trying hard not to break down and cry. Brandon could see that. Callie instead looked away and buried her face in her hands.

Brandon stepped forward and gently pulled Callie into his arms.

"Callie, don't hide from me," he said tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't pull away. Don't push me away."

Callie lifted her head up and muttered something inaudible.

"What? What, Callie?"

"Liam."

Brandon heard the word all too clearly this time. He didn't need to know what happened. He already had the answer when Callie let out a strangled sob.

She couldn't contain herself. Callie broke down, falling apart in Brandon's arms.

Brandon backed them up against the wall and slid down to the cold tile underneath them, holding Callie's trembling body against his chest as he did so.

They sat like that for a while, her in his arms, neither speaking. They didn't need to. Brandon didn't need to hear what exactly happened. He didn't care. The only thing he cared about was right in his arms.

Suddenly Callie stopped.

She took a deep breath and whispered, "Liam, he-"

"Stop. I don't need to hear it. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Callie looked up.

"But I do. I do want to."

* * *

Brandon listened patiently. Not once interrupting or looking away from the beautiful, strong girl in his arms who'd been through so much. Her tears weren't worth all this pain and grief.

Every now and then Callie would look up and meet his crystal blue eyes. Brandon wore a sorrow expression on his face, and you could tell that it was almost as hard for him to hear the story as it was for Callie to tell it. She watched his lips quiver when she told him the worst part.

Callie finished the story with another heartbreaking sob. She was worried what would happen next after all this was over, but she realized it was all worth it when she felt the huge weight lift off of her shoulders.

_I can trust him..._

"_Just like she trusted Liam?"_ Callie thought bitterly.

She smiled. _No, so much more. _

Sensing the story was over, Brandon hugged Callie tighter. He could feel the cold dampness of her skin as he placed his hand upon her cheek.

"You're so brave, Callie. So strong…"

He brushed another tear from her face.

"You don't deserve this."

She wept in Brandon's strong arms, hot torrents of grief coursing out of her eyes, her racking sobs shaking her thoroughly with the knowledge that nothing would ever be the same again.


	4. All I Need

Callie woke to the sound of soft, beautiful music playing from across the room. The melody was sad, gloomy, the notes filled with sorrow. Callie could feel it seep into her body slowly and spread throughout her veins.

_"Where was she?"_ Callie wondered. _The last time she woke up in another room, another bed…_

Callie quickly shut her thoughts off when she saw the familiar, lean frame of the person responsible for the lovely notes drifting to Callie's ears.

Brandon hung his head low over the keyboard, arching his back, his slender shoulders hunched forward, seeming so engrossed into the song as if he was playing off of his pain, his grief.

The pain didn't belong to him though; it belonged to the girl sleeping peacefully in his bed just a few feet away.

Callie gently forced herself to sit up, but immediately regretted it.

A sharp, pounding sensation found its way inside her head. Her whole body ached, her muscles throbbed, every bone sore and sensitive. Callie gasped at the pain forming inside her and then groaned, but tried to muffle the sound, not wanting Brandon to hear her awake.

Callie mentally cursed herself as she heard the steady beat of the music come to an end, the once beautiful melody now slowly drifting away.

Brandon spun around and faced the girl he was most afraid of, but wanted to have everything to do with.

Callie sat wide-eyed on the rumpled sheets and turned pillows. Her breath caught in her throat. She felt so exposed, so vulnerable. She no longer had any walls to put up between her and the one who could unintentionally cause her the most pain.

Brandon cautiously stood up and carefully walked towards the bed, sitting down next to the fragile, yet strong girl before him. He gently lifted his hand to Callie's face, as if to brush her cheek, but stopped as he saw Callie flinch and move away from his now departing hand.

"I- I'm sorry." Brandon muttered.

He sensed her walls were once again up, refusing to let what happened last night happen again.

Callie crossed her arms over her chest and around her aching shoulders.

"How- How did I get her? W- Why am I in here? Why didn't you just take me back to my- Mariana's- room?"

Callie's soft brown eyes refused to meet his.

Brandon could tell that Callie seemed uncomfortable, almost as if she was scared…

"Oh god, Callie, I- I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly."

Callie still refused to meet his unwavering gaze.

"You just fell asleep in my arms last night after… what happened, and I just thought you'd be more comfortable here knowing I somewhere close by, if you know, needed me."

Callie just mumbled a faint, "Oh."

Brandon placed his hand on her quivering knee.

"Callie, I am not like him. I am not like Liam. I want to be with you more than anything in the world, yeah, but I would never do that to you. Never hurt you like that. I could never forgive myself."

Brandon's voice sounded stern, but soft, concerning.

Brandon cupped her trembling chin with hand, and tilted her head up.

"Callie, I would never do anything that could risk me being with you. I want you, all of you. I want your trust, your friendship, and maybe someday… something more. I want to be the one you look up to and can confide in."

He took a deep, shaky breath. "I want to be _that_ guy."

Callie wrapped her hands around Brandon's neck.

"You are, Brandon. You are that guy. I don't know about more than that, but right now, that's all I need."

Brandon smiled and leaned his head into hers.

"I don't want to tell them."

Brandon frowned. "Callie-"

"At least not yet, I'm just not ready."

"Callie, we have to."

"No. I just need some time. _Please_, Brandon. I'm begging you, _please_."

Brandon sighed. "Alright, but in the meantime I am not letting you out of my sight. I will _never_ let him lay a hand on you again."

Content with the answer, Callie buried herself once again into Brandon's arms. She drifted into another deep sleep, where nobody, not even Liam, could touch her.


	5. Need to Know

The faint sound of hushed voices arguing filled Callie's ears. She slightly squinted her eyes open, not wanting to give away her awakening.

Sunlight poured through the windows of Brandon's bedroom, signaling it was early morning.

"We weren't doing anything, moms."

Callie recognized the voice as belonging to Brandon.

What was he talking about?

"Callie just needed someone to talk to last night. We fell asleep talking, that's it."

Oh. Oh my god, no. You don't think...

"Why did she need to talk to someone? About what? What happened?"

Lena was concerned. She couldn't help but notice how nervous and fidgety Brandon was acting. He was playing with the hem of his faded, old, blue t-shirt, refusing to look either Stef or her in the eye.

"Since when did Callie ever want to talk about anything that's happened?" Lena thought to herself.

She puts up all these walls between herself and others. But each day it was like a brick would fall out out of place, opening the hole further and further. Only Jude could fully tear down those walls.

And Brandon...

Lena shook her head. No, nothing is going on between the two of them. Brandon knows the rules. And Callie's smarter than that. Callie would never allow herself to be put in a similar situation like what happened with Liam. Callie's too cautious... Too careful.

Brandon sighed. He was trying hard not to seem upset, but everyone all knew how readable Brandon was. He was so open, so exposed. He wasn't afraid to express himself. He didn't care whether someone saw him shed a tear or frown. He didn't care whether the girl he cared about, more than anything else, knew how he felt just as much as he did.

"I think it would be better if you heard it from Callie."

Brandon's voice was solemn. Pain flashed in his bright blue eyes. He was clearly upset about something.

This shocked Stef. Brandon was so sensitive to others, to the world around him. But this... This was... Love. He loved Callie, whether she liked to admit it or not. And Callie... It's like there was a weak spot in her wall. A hole only Brandon was capable of finding. A pushed out brick he could stick his hand through. A shallow hole in the ground Brandon could crawl through.

All of Stef's and Lena's anger fled when they got a good look at Callie.

Lena gasped and pressed a hand to her parted mouth. What she saw broke her heart.

"My sweet baby." Stef murmured.

Agony wretched inside her. She gently laid a hand on Callie's bruised cheek. She choked back a sob.

"What happened? Did someone do this to her?" Stef demanded, the police side of her wanting answers.

Brandon just looked away, refusing to lay eyes on what he knew would be a horrific site to see.

"Brandon Foster. You tell me who did this to her right now. Or I'll-"

"Stef-" Lena whispered.

Stef ignored her.

"Or I'll- I'll-"

Stef choked on the last word.

"Just please tell me, baby. Who hurt her? Who hurt Callie?"

All three of them had tears in their eyes. Stef's pale hands were shaking, Lena wrapped her thin arms around her small frame, and Brandon let his gaze slowly fall upon Callie's sleeping body.

Tears fell down his face as he murmured, "I- I can't tell you. I- I just can't. Please."

Brandon looked up at his moms, his lip quivering and voice shaking as he spoke, "Please don't make me. This is Callie's story, not mine. It's not mine to share."

Callie had enough. She rose up, careful not to groan as the pain from her wounds reappeared, and laid a hand on Brandon's arm.

"You don't have to. I will."

Callie looked up at the two women standing in front of the bed, both shocked at her sudden awakening, not knowing how to approach the situation at hand. For once in their life, neither of them knew what to say or do.

She sighed and whispered, "I will tell them. They need to know."


	6. Never Again

Callie didn't think she could let these two amazing women into her heart so easily.

Lena didn't think someone could handle this much hurt in their life, and still come out as strong as Callie was right now.

Stef didn't think she would begin to love Callie as one of her own so soon.

And Brandon didn't think he could feel more love for anyone than he did right now. He was falling in love with this beautiful, strong girl. He was falling hard. And fast.

The second time was worse than the first. Watching her fearful eyes dart around the room as she spoke, hearing her shaking voice choke up on parts of the story, feeling her trembling body lean against his brought back the painful memories of the first time Brandon listened to Callie tell her story.

He thought he could at least keep the tears from his eyes this time, but it was no use. It seemed like the story had gotten more dreadful the more he heard her speak it. The only thing holding him back from letting the tears fall freely down his face was that he knew he had to be strong. He couldn't be the weak one here. Callie was keeping it together, with some difficulty, and she was the one who experienced the painful events that flowed from her mouth. Brandon only had to listen to it. But even that was hard enough. Not just for Brandon, but for Lena and Stef, too.

Stef's face was deathly white, her lips parted and eyes wide. She grasped Lena's hand so tight, knuckles raw and red, that she could practically feel the pulse of Lena's heartbeat throb within her tiny wrist. It was fast, beating feverishly. It seemed like the sound of its pounding traveled up to Stef's ears. It was all she could hear at first, but soon began to fade with every breath she took.

Lena's reaction was quite the opposite compared to Stef's.

Stef's hands were clenched into fists, one wrapped around her wrist, whereas Lena's lost all touch and feeling. It seemed to spread slowly through her whole fragile body, each nerve numbing painfully within her. Lena's mouth was set in a grim line. Her eyes closed shut, tears spilling from the corners, causing her cheeks to wet. Each word that came out of Callie's quivering mouth echoed painfully inside her head.

_Why do terrible things always happen to the best of people? It just wasn't fair; this happening to Callie. She didn't deserve this. She doesn't deserve any of this. It's not right._

Callie let her eyes travel to the starchy walls of Brandon's bedroom, to the discarded clothes strewn across the floor, to the photos of the Foster family tacked to the billboard above his desk; anywhere but the eyes of the three people in the room who could possibly be the ones who cared for her most than anyone in this world. She didn't mean to receive these kinds of actions from anyone. She didn't mean to make her problem theirs too. They didn't deserve that. They've done so much for her, for Jude.

Callie ended her story with a last, gasping breath. "It- It happened again. And I couldn't even stop it. I couldn't stop it from happening again!"

Callie let out a heart wrenching sob, the first tears she'd shed since last night becoming evident on her face.

Lena and Stef recovered and immediately and pulled Callie into each of their shaking arms.

Lena was the first to speak. "Hush, sweetheart. Hush." She ran a comforting hand through Callie's hair.

Stef held Callie's face between both of her hands.

"Callie. Callie, look at me." Stef's quiet voice was stern but had a soft edge to it.

Callie's big brown eyes met Stef's striking green ones.

"Callie, I can't promise you that everything will go back to the way it was before. It's going to be rough, hard, long road ahead of us, but one we're willing to travel for you. I can't promise you that it's going to be okay for now on; it's not. But I _can _promise you this; Liam is going to ruin the day he ever laid hands on you."

Her green eyes were fierce, her voice strong.

"I can promise you that this will never, _never_ happen again. I won't allow for it."

"Never?" Callie's voice was small.

Stef shook her head, sounding confident and sure as she whispered, "Never. Never again."


	7. All I Want Is You

Callie leaned over the bathroom sink, arms rested on the white marble counter, and stared intently into the mirror before her. She hardly recognized the girl staring back at her. Same dark hair, same soft brown eyes, but... Different. Her face was pale and there were dark circles under her eyes suggesting she hadn't gotten any sleep in the past week. Tears ran down her face as she took deep ragged breaths.

_You can do this. You can do this, Callie._

She jumped when she heard a knock at the bathroom door.

"Callie?"

_Brandon._

She quickly wiped the tears off her face and yelled through the door, "Just- Just one minute!"

Callie muttered a curse to herself.

_Why did her voice have to sound so shaky? Like she'd been crying?_

She glanced at the reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy.

Because she had been.

Callie unlocked the door and let Brandon enter, dressed in a black suit and silver-gray tie.

"I'm ready. I'm ready to go." Callie murmured, but inside she didn't feel so ready.

Brandon frowned. "That's not why I came to check up on you. I came to see if you were alright."

Judging by the puffy eyes and wild, scared expression she failed to hide, she wasn't.

"I'll be fine." Callie whispered.

Brandon narrowed his eyes. _Why did she always have to pretend everything was okay with her? They were on their way to her court hearing against Liam, and she still refused to let him in. Where was that vulnerable, scared girl he found in the bathroom the other night? He was starting to miss her..._

"Really, I'm fine. Just fine, Brandon."

Callie could tell Brandon didn't believe her by the concerned expression evident on his face. She didn't blame him, though. She wasn't sure if she even believed herself.

"That tear on your cheek suggests otherwise." Brandon said quietly as he gently placed a hand on her cheek.

He wiped away the stray tear with his thumb.

Callie looked away, as if ashamed.

"Hey. Callie, look at me." Brandon said sternly.

Callie met his unwavering gaze.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of. If you're upset, _be_ upset. You have been through so much in your life, more than anyone here. Spilling a few tears is more than okay."

Callie still refused to meet his intense stare.

She felt weak. This whole week she'd been feeling weak and vulnerable. It wasn't like her at all.

"It hasn't just been a few tears. This whole week I've been pouring my eyes out, feeling sorry for myself."

Callie seemed disgusted; repulsed by the idea of it.

"Ever sense you've stepped foot in this house, you've been hiding away from anyone who could even possibly care for you; who could _love_ you. You've built up all these walls around you to stop people from getting close to you. You cover your feelings up and bury all thoughts you have about what _you_ want._ Why_?"

Callie backed away. But with every step she took away from him, Brandon took a step closer, narrowing the small space between them.

He said with more force, "What do you _want_, Callie?"

Callie finally met his eyes.

She whispered, "You."

_All I want is you._

Brandon's soothing touch on her cheek stopped. Callie could make out a barely audible gasp that came from his parted lips.

Before Brandon had a chance to say something- anything- they were interrupted by the muffled shout of Lena telling them to come downstairs.

Callie left hastily without another word or glance in his direction. She left Brandon standing their speechless; shocked.

"What have I done?" Callie murmured to herself.


End file.
